The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1887-06-23

us that it contained the body of
baby who had died the previous day.
Its mother, fatally i'll ut the cottage,
had begged that it might be buried at
Pieve di Galore, her birthplace, where
she had friends who would receive it.
1t was quite out of the ordinary
custom to make the diligence g. funer-
al car for b peasant baby; but reeu-
lations were elastic in that part Of the
world, and our guard seemed ready
to risk reproof in order to crafty d
dying woman's wish.
Pieve di Galore, the birthplace of
Titan. as we'll as of the poor woman
who had lost her baby, was mile or
more distant from the diligence road.
For passengers wishing to visit this
place an omnibus was sent to the
crossroads; those more prosaically
inclined remaining at an inn for din
ner and repose.
We were among the latter. and. aft
er taking refreshments; watched at our
horses and men and escorting travel
ers and luggage from one conveyance
to the other. At nightfall We watched
Marina, where we were provided with
supper and room decorated with
pictures of saints in smiling torture.
The next morning, as we had some
hours to spare before resuming our
journey, Margaret astonisheI me by
sending for her violin.
"You don't mean to say you have
brought the fiddle on this expedition
OF all others!" l exclaimed, blankly.
"Of course l brought it. 1t would
not have been safe otherwise, and l
was not sure we should return by this
route. babe the waiter put it in the
diligence without your knowledge, as
I sometimes fancied it annoyed you"
Every WE'LL" l returned, resienedly.
practice" And suited the action to
the word without further delay:
My thoughts were cheerful compai,:
ions: The next afternoon would find
us in Venice; the day following would
be red-letter one for all the year; the
birthday fete, the wonders of the ma
rine city, meeting again Herbert
Stacy. All was like adelicious dream,
short and sweet as dreams are, but
amply worth any fatigue and discom-
fort which the journey might cause.
When l returned from my walk l
found Margaret in floods oftears, pac-
ing the room distractedly and wiring
ing her hands in undisguised distress.
When she could control her voice she
told me g. woeful tale.
When l went out she had sent for
the violin. After some unaccountable
q huS,
black box, which was like-and yet
strangely unlike-the fiddle case. "a
creepy feeling ran down my back as
looked at it," she said: IL sent tine
man to look again, but he declared
there was no other black box among
the luggage, except a hat case. He
grew quite violent about it, and Isup-
pose he was excited, too, for the truth
was beginning to dawn upon me: Final
ly he ran away and got a screwdriver,
| opened the box, and started back
with an exclamation which confirmed
my worst fears. 1t contained that
poor little baby, looking as beautiful
and peaceful as anything you can
| imagine"
"How dreadful! But you must
have recovered from the shock now,
Margaret, dear?"
| "Shock? You don't seem to realize
that they have buried my VIOLIN"
dropped Imply into q chair.
"There Is not a moment to lose,"
| Margaret continued. IL must take
the first conveyance back to Pieve. 1t
breaks my heart to have you 20 on
alone to Venice, and l shall feel un-
easy about you every moment. But
what can 1 do? Oh! dear; was ever
anything so distressing"
Couldn't We leave the fiddle till
after our trip"
! elbow can you make such wild
suggestion, Kate? 1t would he ruined
by lying so long in the damp earth.
Prompt action may possibly save it
from being buried at all. No, must
90 at once to the rescue"
saw that remonstrance would be
perfectly useless; Margaret would be
frantic if restrained. She could not
go back to Pieve alone, because to ex-
plain her mission there, Italian would
be necessary, and Margaret had not
learned the language which | spoke
well. She had befriended me to her
own inconvenience in thousand in.
stances already, and it was plainly
my duty to stand by her now. She
did not know how great the sacrifice
would be for me, for had not told
her OF my hope of meeting Herbert
Stacy.
After q brief, bitter conflict with
myself ! said: II will 60 back to Pieve
with YOU" And rs l uttered these
words / felt mentally all the torture
which the wriggling saints on the wall
expressed in their bodies.
! But. dear child, you will miss the
fete; there is not time for 10th"
"Never mind that. l didn't feel
much interest in it, anyway. 1t was
the-the scenery liked, and we have
had the best of it already" l was
determined to play my part of mar.
tyr gracefully, even at the expense oil
truth.
"How good OF you, Kate! 1 hated
more. than words can express to &c
alone among all those queer people
l couldn't explain my mission, and
they would probably think me 8
murderess. Never mind! l will take
you to Venice next year, if have tc
go in rags to accomplish it,"
"Alas! next year there will be nc
Herbert" thought, regretfully.
An ill-assorted pair of steeds at
tached to an antiquated vehicle took
us and the poor baby back to Pieve
at an irritating jog.trot. l didn't
care whether Titan was born
there, or born at all, fol
that matter, and vouchsafed hardly
a glance at his house as we passed.
was too downcast and disappointed
Though strove to conceal my feel
ings from Margaret) even to fee
amusement at the ridiculous errand
upon which we had come.
1t was as Margaret feared; the black
box containing the violin had beer
taken by mistake from the diligence
received and wept over as holding thu
defunct baby, and as such had beer
buried, with an accompaniment o.
wax tapers and dyed immortelles, the
previous afternoon.
Our story collected about us what
0oemA6 IN ho tho u,hn1n will M o~o.>